CzechSite: Shopping Around

Places to Shop

Social life in Prague is concentrated in the city center as in other European capitals. So the best shopping is right there. There are a lot of small quaint shops and boutiques on every street especially in Old Town. You will have a chance to buy there souvenirs, hand cut glass, bohemian garnet or jewels. Just walk and watch around.

If you prefer to shop in one place go inside some shopping mall or department store in the city center or drive to some hypermarket in the suburb.

Remember, it is not a custom to haggle the price in Czech, price on tag is always fixed even in the stalls. And one more thing; although Czech Republic is a part of European Union since May 1, 2004, it is not part of Euro Zone and so Euro is not used there for paying in stores. Take your stuff on a credit card or have enough of Czech Crowns with you. ATMs are on every corner.

Shopping Malls

If you would prefer shopping around in the shopping mall go to:

Shopping Mall Chodov map
Chodov shopping mall is located at metro station Chodov (red line C) in the southern part of the city. There are Hypernova hypermarket, more than two hundred stores, food court with KFC, McDonald's and the others, restaurants, cafes, children corner and huge parking (three hours for free). There is no movie theater.

Shopping Mall Novy Andel (New Angel) map
Novy Andel shopping mall is located 5 minutes walking distance from metro station Andel (yellow line B) in the city center. There are Tesco hypermarket, two hundred stores, food court with KFC, McDonald's and the others, restaurants, cafes, children corner and huge parking (three hours for free). There is also Palace Cinemas movie theater.

Shopping Mall Flora map
Flora shopping mall is located at metro station Flora (green line A) in the city center. There are Albert supermarket, two hundred stores, food court with KFC, McDonald's and the others, restaurants, cafes, children corner and huge parking (three hours for free). There is also Cinema City movie theater and the IMAX movie theater.

Shopping Mall Arkady map
Arkady shopping mall is located at metro station Pankrac (red line C) in the city center. There are Interspar hypermarket, two hundred stores, food court with KFC, McDonald's and the others, restaurants, cafes, children corner and huge parking (three hours for free). There is no movie theater.

Shopping Mall Palladium map
Palladium shopping mall is located at metro station Namesti Republiky (yellow line B) in the city center. There are Albert foodstore, 180 stores, food court with 20 restaurants, bars and cafes included with KFC, McDonald's, huge parking. There is no movie theater.

Shops in shopping malls are usually open daily from 10 am till 8 pm, food stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets from 8 am till 10 pm.

Department Stores

In the 20th century there were no shopping malls in Prague and people usually went for shopping to the department stores right in the city center as in other European cities. Of course the department stores are still there and are usually considered architectural landmarks (check out some of them if you walk around).

Bata, Wenceslas Square 6
Bata department store was built according architect Ludvik Kysela in 1928-1929. There is still shoe department store and is considered as architectural landmark. Do not miss it.

Bila Labut (White Swan), Na Porici 23
This architectural landmark, Bila Labut department store, was built according architects Josef Hruby and Josef Kittrich in 1938-1939 and was open on March 18, 1939. Recently there is shopping mall.

Kotva, Namesti republiky 8
Another architectural landmark, department store Kotva, was built according architects Vera and Ladislav Machoninov in 1969-1975 and was open on February 10, 1975. Recently there is shopping mall.

Maj (My), Narodni 26
Another architectural landmark, department store Maj, was built according architects Miroslav Masak, John Eisler and Martin Rajnis in 1973-1975. Recently there is Tesco hypermarket.

Hypermarkets

Some huge hypermarkets are located in Prague suburbs. Locals usually drive there once a week for a big shopping. Our favorites are:

Shopping Center Zlicin map
hypermarket Tesco, Ikea, hypermarket Globus, Electro World and some other stores
Shopping Center Letnany map
hypermarket Tesco and two hundred of other stores included huge food court
Shopping Center Cerny Most map
hypermarket Globus and other stores included small food court

What to Buy

Visitors usually buy hand cut crystal or bohemian garnet, besides common tourist stuff like souvenirs, books, music, marionette etc.

Books

Books are an easy gift or souvenir. Many shops stock an excellent reference or photography books on Prague and the Czech Republic. The best bookstores are located in the city center:

Book Palace Luxor
Wenceslas Square 41
This four-floor bookstore was open in August 2002. Recently it is the biggest bookstore in the country. There is cafe on the second floor. Bookstore is open weekdays till 8 pm, weekends till 7 pm.

Book House (Dum knihy) CLOSED
Wenceslas Square 4
This five-floor bookstore was the biggest one in the country and shopping there was very pleasant. Unfortunately it was closed at the beginning of 2011.

Academia Bookstore
corner of Wenceslas Square and Vodickova
This two floor bookstore has a small cafe.

Kanzelsberger
Wenceslas Square 42
Nice place for shopping books especially in the basement.

Krakatit Bookstore
Jungmanova 14
Very special place for buying sci-fi, fantasy and comics. You can meet there some people oriented like this.

Kiwi Bookstore
Jungmanova 23
Special place for buying maps and tour guides for your trip to the whole world.

Music

Good buys are classical CDs of the works of Czech composers (Dvorak, Smetana, Martinu, Janacek) as well as folk music brass band (dechovka). You can get CD at any bookstore and many other stores in the city center. If you have problems finding anything specific, try some Music department stores:

Popron, Jungmanova 30
Bonton, Wenceslas Square 1

Glass and Crystal

One of the Prague's best buys is Bohemian Crystal, usually hand cut one. It is sold at many places in the city center and prices are not radically different from shop to shop. Some of the shops are even able to ship abroad.

Souvenirs

Visitors usually look for painted marionettes, wood toys, ceramic ware with traditional design, Easter eggs, drawings, paintings and photographs of the city. You will find many stores selling this stuff along the most heavily touristed places. Do not afraid, you will not miss it (in fact they will not miss you :-) A few stalls still even sell Soviet military parephernalia and matryoshka dolls.

Antiques and Artwork

Be careful when you buy antique or museum quality art. You will probably have a trouble with the customs on the way out. In general, everything made before 1920 may be non-exportable.